Wishing Hole
by sulpicia29
Summary: "The only trouble with resisting temptation is that you may not get another chance." My sequel story to 'Flood' - Liley.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is my sequel story to 'Flood'. I started writing it basically as soon as I finished its predecessor, so it hasn't really been brought about by the recent events in Japan or New Zealand, though I do feel great sympathy and regret for those two nations. I've never written a sequel story before so let's see how this goes._

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything under the Hannah Montana label, nor the chapter song by Bette Midler or anything else which may have inspired this.  
_

_x_

**Wishing Hole**

_Some say love__, it is a river  
That drowns the tender reed…_

It was nearly light when Lilly crept back into her flat, letting herself in with a well-worn key. The lounge was lit by a single lamp which had been left on to herald her return. Lilly smiled weakly at the sight, already looking forward to her bed, and she didn't give much thought to the kitbag of work clothes that she left near the entrance to her home.

She slipped across the living area on light footsteps to ease open the door to her bedroom and dart inside. She undressed quickly – stripping down to her pants and an undershirt before climbing into bed beside the lump beneath the covers, which had been keeping it warm for her.

"Mmm…" The person in the bed released a sigh and Lilly curled up beside her, throwing an arm over the waist of the other woman.

"Ssh… Go back to sleep." Lilly whispered when the stirring female turned to rub her nose against Lilly's own.

"Hey baby, how was work?"

"It was fine." Lilly replied with a yawn, "But I'm looking forward to sleeping now."

"Yeah. Sleep good."

"Miley…" Lilly smiled and leaned in to kiss her girlfriend, who was warm with an aura of sleep which Lilly loved to find on her return from an evening on duty.

Miley's lips moved tentatively against Lilly's own at first, but soon she was shuffling closer and uncurling to press her body flush against Lilly's.

Lilly sighed at the blessed contact that already had the temperature of her blood increasing rapidly. Miley's capable hands were winding around Lilly's torso, tugging her closer and rumpling up her shirt to gain better access to her skin. "I missed you…" Miley muttered against Lilly's lips, kissing her soundly whilst her fingertips danced over Lilly's stomach.

"Missed you too…" Lilly gasped when Miley's hands became bolder, "God…"

"I'm leaving in a few hours, so we might as well make the most of our time together." Miley slurred against Lilly's willing mouth and Lilly could only nod abruptly.

"That won't be a problem."

x-x-x

The room was lighter when Lilly's eyes next opened and a smile was formed on her lips before the blurry room could emerge to reveal the proper beginning of another day. She had been awoken by quiet movement in the room around her and Lilly reached for her glasses, which she kept on the table beside her bed.

"Are you packed?"

Miley was tiptoeing about the room, tucking her few possessions into a spare carryall which Lilly had lent her for the trip. She cursed under her breath when she realised that Lilly was actually awake.

"Sorry sweetie, I didn't mean to disturb you."

Lilly only smiled, "That's okay, I would have been sad if I hadn't gotten a chance to say goodbye to you."

"Well, I'm just about ready to leave now." Miley said and to confirm she tugged the zipper across the opening of the bag, until it was sealed shut.

"Then I'd better see you out – to make sure you actually go."

"Always charming." Miley replied serenely and she let Lilly clamber, slightly ungracefully, out of bed to hold the door open for her.

They walked together across the lounge, without the need to say anything, and Lilly carefully unbolted the door. "Are you going to be alright getting to the airport?" She asked again, as she had done before she had gone to work the following evening, and Miley smiled.

"Of course, I've booked a taxi and I'm already running late for it."

"I would drive you, if you'd only let me." Lilly pouted and Miley leaned across to kiss her pursed lips softly.

"You're exhausted and you should be in bed." Miley reprimanded her gently. "I've got this one."

"But the airport's miles away…"

"Lilly." Miley sighed, yet the smile remained on her lips, "You always have to be so valiant. Look, I didn't earn millions of dollars being an international pop star just to ride the sweaty bus to the airport."

"Hey, don't be mean about the bus… It's not that sweaty…" Lilly replied, but then she grimaced. "You forgot to mention that it takes a couple of hours."

"Because it stops everywhere." Miley nodded, "I've already done my research. Just be glad I didn't put in a few extra bucks and hire myself out a chauffeur-driven limo." She sighed, "Those were the days…"

"Diva." Lilly chided.

"Never." Miley replied and there was a playful gleam in her eyes, which quickly dimmed. "You know, I really am going to miss you."

Lilly felt her throat tighten around the words she actually wanted to say, and only managed to mumble out, "Miss you more."

"Doubtful." Miley drawled, wrapping her free arm around Lilly and pulling her into a tight hug. "See ya later."

"I'll pick you up from the airport in two weeks." Lilly promised.

"It's a date." Miley agreed and kissed Lilly's lips again and again, until Lilly had to release her and push her back into the hallway.

"Just get out of here!" Lilly laughed and watched as Miley backed down the corridor, loathe to break their connection, before she disappeared around a corner.

Lilly swallowed and her throat loosened, the sentiment sliding back down her oesophagus and returning to her chest. Perhaps she would be ready next time.

x-x-x

A light drizzle splattered down her raincoat and trickled over the hood, the droplets falling before her eyes as her feet smashed through the stillness of puddles lurking on the pavements. Lilly only shook her head to dislodge a few, but she knew that there would be more to follow. She was growing to hate the rain and all that it brought with it, but she was also wise enough to understand that there was nothing she could do about it.

She was in an unfamiliar town but with the promise of a better mall. Lilly wasn't one to enjoy engaging in the sport of shopping, yet she needed to make some improvements to her wardrobe. She also wanted to do this in private, so that she would have the chance to surprise the female who was still rooming with her.

Lilly smiled to herself – Miley hadn't left since the afternoon when Lilly had taken her in little over a month ago. She had helped Miley regain her place in the world by providing her with an address, and thus Miley had finally been granted access to her funds. However, all good things have to come to an end, or at least be put on hold, and Miley needed to see her family. She had flown back to Tennessee earlier that day and Lilly missed her already, like a constant burn of thirst in her throat which would only be satisfied upon the return of her girlfriend.

_Girlfriend_, now that was a word that Lilly liked. It fell from her tongue with ease and she smiled to think of how their relationship had come about. Not to mention she was seeing Hannah Montana on the side… But, somehow, Miley was better. If Lilly had to choose, it would be Miley all the way. Plus she was superior in bed, something which Lilly found hard to measure yet it was Miley's infinite softness which won out every time.

Lilly hadn't even noticed that her path had gone slightly off track when she reached a street that led down a hill into a rather bleak part of the town. As she gazed upon the buildings, she could sense that something was different about this block compared to the others she had strolled through. The foundations of the buildings seemed weaker, distorted, and her instincts immediately told her that something was amiss. Then she realised the truth – she was walking into the basin of Miley's town; the place which had been hit by the flood hardest.

Without thinking too much about it, Lilly's feet led her down the road and through the streets which had been decimated. The further she descended the gradient of the hill, the worse things seemed to get and her feeling of unease grew. She was not the only person who was walking here, yet those who she did pass kept their faces downcast as if they could sense the same bad vibes she did. It really didn't help that it was raining – it made the place seem damp, stagnant, and Lilly felt her good spirits begin to crumble along with the mortar that had cracked and withered around her.

Then the ground began to level out and Lilly's eyes widened at the mess that had become of a place that was once teeming with life. One long row of houses was surrounded by metal partitions labelled with construction company signs which promised repair. Chunks were missing from the buildings, the walls weakened by the damage and these houses, built cheaply in the first place, had simply buckled under the strain of the fast-moving water. A permanent stain of filth seemed to cover the buildings and Lilly could easily discern where the water level had crept to in the dirt that painted the walls. Some had been scoured clean, yet the traces remained and would do until they were re-painted. It was taking time, however, because the rain had fallen heavily for so long and the water had not been easy to drain away.

She kept walking, tracing the route the flood must have taken through the town and as she stepped into a new street she noticed that something was really wrong. Here buildings had collapsed and were properly cordoned off. Certainly a fresh centre of growth was to be planned, with homes that were better designed to handle water damage and if the current houses in this section of town could speak Lilly knew that the only noise would be a constant, weakened groaning, like a person who had known prolonged pain for too long.

Her ears pricked as the sound of a car, being driven with high pressure put on the engine, drove up behind her. The noise grew louder and she turned to see a man swerve the vehicle around the corner and into the next block of houses. In just those few seconds Lilly recognised the panic on his face, and the way that his phone was pressed to his ear. Before she knew it, her feet were pounding the pavement after the driver and she only stopped when he pulled up haphazardly and leapt out.

There was a small crowd gathered around a collapsed building and, as Lilly jogged over, she could see them jostling forward before pulling back anxiously, as if an invisible boundary was tugging them away. Eventually she could hear the man who had been on the phone and he was calling out the name of a woman.

"Suzanne!" He moved closer to the rubble and Lilly's training kicked in.

"Wait!" She called out to him and he paused, confused by the interruption, "What's happened here?" She asked, her calm voice immediately generating a quiet sense of authority and he looked staggered as his wide eyes took her in.

"My wife… She's trapped under there…" He jabbed a finger in the direction of the rubble. "We were told not to come back for our belongings but she needed to get to the safe box in the basement. I told her to wait for the officials to deal with the matter but she couldn't. Apparently the house collapsed twenty minutes ago and no one knew she was inside. A neighbour phoned me and I couldn't get hold of Suzanne…"

He tried to dart forward again, but Lilly caught him by his jacket and forcefully pushed him back. "Sir, I understand your anguish right now but I need you to stay away. I can't have you compromising your safety. Have you called the emergency services?"

He nodded tersely, "I'm afraid it may be too late by the time they get here."

Just then the car door opened where a small pair of feet appeared and a young girl dropped from her seat to run over and hug her father's legs tightly. "Where's mummy? She phoned and she was scared and then her voice disappeared…"

He shrugged his shoulders, his eyes already becoming damp, "I was driving and passed my phone over to Courtney when Suzanne rang."

Lilly's eyes flickered to the little girl, her cheeks wet with tears, and swallowed. She met the man's eyes once more, "So, she's definitely in there, then?"

"Yes." He said weakly and then he trembled, a gasping sob breaking from him at last. "We've already lost everything we owned and now my wife… Courtney's mum…"

Lilly glanced back at the pile of rubble, adrenaline beginning to thrill through her veins and she could feel herself being drawn towards the mess. She tilted her head to one side, uncomfortable by the lack of sirens and knowing that they were running out of time.

"Stay here." Lilly said and, pausing only to lower her bag to the floor and zip up her jacket, she turned towards the house.

The crowd stayed quiet as she walked to the building, taking in the destruction with well-trained eyes and looking for a way in, some safe hole where she could perhaps try calling for Suzanne. The woman was trapped in the basement however, with an entire house lying in ruins on top of her. There was little hope but Lilly was confident enough. Her sure feet took her up onto the mound and she was glad for her choice of sturdy sneakers that morning whilst she darted swiftly up the pile on legs that were accustomed to climbing. Yet this was free-climbing and she knew that she had to be careful.

The debris was packed tightly together and Lilly's feet only connected with firmly fallen bricks and mortar. She could find no way in until she reached an area which was less sturdy to tread. Lilly dropped into a crouch at once, bracing herself as she cleared the space with steady hands. Slowly a gap appeared and began to grow. Lilly was aware of the rain falling on the back of her jacket, it was getting heavier now and made the loose rubble slippery between her fingers. She worked faster and finally lay flat, to distribute her weight, as she leaned down into the small void.

She inhaled deeply once, and then cried, "Suzanne!" Quickly turning her head, Lilly listened for a reply, but heard none. She tried again. "Suzanne! Are you in there?" The quiet was disconcerting, yet Lilly shouted and listened whilst the rain soaked through her jeans. She could hear the water tapping on the bricks and an echo of it came to her in a whisper through the space in the rubble.

Then Lilly heard something else and she pressed herself ever nearer to listen again.

"…Help…Help me…"

There was someone trapped inside and Lilly rapidly propped herself up on her elbows, trying to hear the emergency services which still hadn't arrived. She had also lost sight of the crowd of people; they were somewhere behind the ridge of a wall that was still standing. It was just her and the victim, and she knew that she had to make a decision.

Her training told her to move away, to make a call to the station to encourage swifter aid and to comfort the relatives of the woman waiting below. Yet somehow she couldn't. Images of the small child with tears streaking her cheeks flashed across her mind, and she winced to see them. She was drawn to the void, to the blackness of the collapsed building and to the soul that was trapped there.

Lilly rose to stand and consider the small space which she had created, just big enough for her slender body to slip through. It was tempting as she approached the brink and looked down, but she couldn't see anything. Lilly shook her head, her mind winning out over her heart and she hated herself for her decision as she turned away.

Then something shifted beneath her, her feet faltered and before she even had time to master command over her body, one leg slipped, followed by the other. The hole was widening and then there was nothing, not a single stone, between her and the thin air and she was falling, her arms outstretched as they sought a safe ledge. Yet her hands only collided with cold rubble, which grazed her palms and knuckles, burning the soft skin and she cried out in pain and fear as the expanse of the sky grew smaller whilst she fell.

All of the air in her lungs was crushed out of her when her back crashed into a solid pillar, and she was pushed forward, her temple colliding with yet more stone which batted her backwards. Lilly was barely aware as her body flopped between the walls of debris and finally her legs crumpled beneath her as the ground emerged and hit her hard.

She gasped for breath, her whole body shocked with pain. As she inhaled dust flew into her mouth and she choked, her blood deprived of oxygen and the need for air was agonizing. Her heart was hammering fast and Lilly knew that she couldn't panic, yet she had never known it to be so difficult not to give into her fear before. She pressed her nose down into her jacket, sucking in the air through the material of her sweater, avoiding the dust which had yet to settle around her. Whilst she slowed and lengthened her breathing, Lilly tried to make sense of her body and what it could do. Yet, it was just as she pulled her focus away from her burning lungs, that she noticed the pain in her legs. She winced as she tried to move them because her fall had dislodged chunks of heavy stone which had landed on top of her. Her head was also throbbing and her hands stung from their attempts at catching her when she plummeted down into the hole.

Tilting her head backwards, Lilly blinked, trying to dislodge the grit from her eyes which was sore as it pushed against her contact lenses. She could barely see the hole she had fallen through as everything had shifted. All she could make out was a single patch of light, but that was grey and did not help her discern anything through the darkness.

She swallowed, tasting the filth in her mouth and she coughed as she tried to speak. Her voice was shaky when it finally emerged, "Hello? Suzanne?" There was no response and Lilly tried again. "Suzanne, my name is Lilly Truscott. Can you hear me?"

"Hello Lilly."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Hopefully I'm going to be able to update this story regularly. Here's the second chapter, just so you have more to go on..._

_x_

**Wishing Hole**

_Some say love__, it is a razor  
That leaves your soul to bleed…_

Her reflection's expression was blank whilst she sat gazing into her vanity mirror that morning. She released a small sigh before reaching for a brush, which she began to trail through her brunette locks, cursing the tangles that the bristles encountered. Yet these were inevitable after the deeds of the night that she had just awoken from, and her cheeks darkened as she relived the memories.

She was aching slightly and she shifted in her seat whilst she sought comfort from the soreness between her legs. Her thighs were tender from the movements of the body that they had tightened around when she had cried out for more. The pain within her chest was the worst though, as she lived in the knowledge that what she had done was wrong because her heart did not belong in the decision she had made in the darkness of the night.

The shower in the adjoining room was switched off and her eyes flickered away from her mirror image, staring instead at the bed behind her. Her sheets were crumpled and the quilt flung aside in a mess that was making her uneasy. She longed to strip her bed and throw the covers in the washer, to cleanse the sheets and start again, but that would have to wait until her guest had left.

Her bedroom door opened and her eyes returned to herself, concentrating as she continued to tug the brush through her wavy hair.

"Hey baby, you're up."

She gritted her teeth at the sound of his voice and managed to hum a reply.

"Did I wake you?" He asked again, his tone softer now and unsure. For a man he certainly was sensitive to the sway in her feelings, and this unsettled her.

"No, you didn't wake me. I was already up."

"Well, so am I…" He hinted and went to remove his towel, but quickly stopped when he noticed her disinterest. "Have I done something wrong?"

Now she was irritated and her reply was short. "No."

He sighed, "I'll never understand you. I thought we had a great time last night."

"We did, it was fun." She answered tightly, her throat closing because he was too gentle and most definitely too good for her.

"So, why won't you even look at me?"

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "Because I'm being mean." She replied quietly and then turned to face him properly, an unwilling smile forming on her lips.

He was watching her with concerned, brown eyes and just seeing someone who had the willingness to care so much about her should have had her melting on the spot, yet that space where the warmth was meant to be remained cold. It was reserved for someone else and guilt trickled through her because her feelings were too complicated, and they hurt.

She rose to her feet and moved across the room to him. His arms reached out for her and drew her in, hugging her to his chest where she traced the muscles beneath her unwilling hands. She was meant to be excited, yet there was a block that she couldn't see past. His hands moved to the hem of the large t-shirt she had pulled on to sleep in and they were already tugging it up and over her head, until she was stood naked before him. Her fingers moved to the towel wrapped about his waist and automatically released it to let it slide to the floor.

Then he pulled her against him properly and she felt the hardness of his body against her own. He kissed her and his lips moved well with hers, his tongue slipping into her mouth and she whimpered pleadingly as he lifted her onto the bed. He hovered over her as she shifted on the mattress, making room for him as he lowered himself down, and she welcomed him inside of her with eyes wide shut.

"Joannie…" He gasped.

x-x-x

It was afternoon by the time Oliver had left and Joannie had gladly closed the door behind him, before finding a beer in her fridge and settling on her couch. She sat and drank from the bottle slowly, wanting the alcohol to overtake her mind but this desire clashed with her sensibility. Getting drunk was definitely not the answer.

Her phone rang from where she had left it in her room and she ignored it, recognising the ring-tone as Sarah's. She did not want to see anyone until later that night, when she would probably go out and lose herself in a club since she did not have to work until the following afternoon.

Joannie had almost finished her drink when her phone rang again and this time she heard Maria's ring-tone. Now she knew that something was wrong and she got quickly to her feet to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Joannie, it's me…" Maria said, and her voice wasn't steady, something which Joannie noticed immediately, "…I need you to come to the following address. Something's happened to Lilly."

"Lilly?" Joannie's mouth went dry, "What…?"

"Just get a pen and make a note, then come to this address…"

Joannie's eyes widened while she took the notes her pilot gave her, promising that she would follow her instructions. Their conversation finished and Joannie returned to her room, changing into more suitable clothing before selecting the first number on her speed dial.

"Come on, Lilly, please pick up…" Joannie mumbled as she locked her flat behind her and set off down the hallway.

When the phone was answered, however, it was not by her best friend. A man picked up and his voice was shaking.

"Where's Lilly?" Joannie asked, and then she realised that her tone was too hard because the man was clearly upset. She cursed herself for not having Lilly's tact with people, and then the pain in her chest increased.

"She's trapped in the basement of my house, with my wife…" He replied and Joannie un-locked her car, sliding into the driving seat and starting the engine.

"I'm on my way."


	3. Chapter 3

**Wishing Hole**

_Some say love, it is a hunger,  
An endless, aching need…_

Miley Stewart opened the oven and stepped back as she allowed the initial blast of hot air to escape against her legs, rather than her face, before she took a chance on peering inside to view her creation. The smell which greeted her was highly desirable and the golden colour of the pastry almost too perfect which meant her dessert was cooked.

She picked up a dishcloth from the side and wrapped it about her hand to protect her from the hot metal of the pan. With a smile gracing her features, she slid the final piece of her family's meal for that evening out of the oven and placed it on the side. She couldn't resist leaning over the pie again and inhaling deeply as the fruity fragrance caused her mouth to water when she anticipated the flavour.

However, the dessert needed to cool before it would be ready and she contemplated leaving it on the windowsill. Then she remembered that her brother only lived in another farm building and was sure to sniff out and steal the pie the second her back was turned. Miley contented herself to closing the window, to avoid risking his temptation, and left it on the side.

Humming to herself, Miley set the table for the evening meal, placing the cutlery out neatly for her father and brother, just how they used to have it in each of their own places. As she worked on making everything perfect, her thoughts couldn't help slipping back to the memories of that very same morning when she had a certain blonde trapped beneath her body. She smiled wryly to herself as she remembered the feel of Lilly's skin against her fingertips and how responsive the other woman was, as always, to her touch. Miley was overcome once more by that same effervescence of feeling, where the butterflies within her chest took flight, as she thought of Lilly. How she wished she was laying another place at her family's table, so that she could introduce her girlfriend to her father.

_Girlfriend_, Miley found herself smiling over the very word that, without her knowing, had Lilly's cheeks flushed with excitement only a few hours prior to her. She was still wearing this giddy expression when her father walked in to find her.

"Hey Miles." Robbie Ray greeted his daughter from the doorway, "Mmm… Your pie smells great, what is it? Possum?"

Miley scowled at his teasing, "No, dad, it's a dessert pie."

He only grinned and moved to stand beside her, taking the plate out of her hands and placing it in the blank spot on the table, "So, what were you smilin' about to yourself just then, darlin'?"

Miley blushed, "Oh, nothing…"

"Oh, it's definitely something." He said, watching her carefully. "If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you have another man on the go."

Miley laughed weakly, "Whatever would give you that idea?" She side-stepped away in an attempt to avoid his attention yet Robbie Ray only followed her to the fridge as she retrieved a bottle of water.

"You've gone all misty-eyed and you've been in your own little world ever since I picked you up from the airport. I know you Miley."

She sighed, "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

"And that's what dads are for." His eyes were twinkling as he regarded her closely, "So, who is the lucky guy?"

Miley averted herself from his gaze, "That's where it gets kinda complicated."

Robbie Ray was quiet as he watched his daughter take a sip from her water. Miley was aware that she was standing awkwardly and not meeting his eyes; this would always get her dad thinking, and that was dangerous. "It's not Jake, again, is it?" He asked gently, yet Miley heard the warning tone in his voice.

She laughed instead and felt the tension ease, "No, that much I can promise you." Her father seemed relieved and she smiled, "It's something I need to talk to you about over dinner."

Robbie Ray nodded, "Well, it must be important if we're doing it over dinner." He smiled, "Alright darlin', I can wait."

Miley nodded, she could wait too because this was the scariest conversation she had yet to have with him.

x-x-x

It was enough to make Miley cringe as she watched her brother eat his dinner. His poor table manners had not changed in all the years they had sat down for a meal together, save when his wife was there.

"Remind me again, Jackson…" Miley began and he barely glanced up from his gravy-soaked potatoes, yet she continued, "…how did you get that beautiful model to marry you?"

In response Jackson belched heartily, "Fatal attraction." He replied through a mouthful of food and Miley turned away, pushing her empty plate aside.

"I see."

"Speaking of relationships," Jackson said slyly, after spearing a potato on his fork and twirling it around as he gesticulated, "dad says you're seeing someone."

Miley swallowed and felt the heat in her body seep to her palms as they started to sweat. "Yes, I am, and have been for about a month now." Suddenly the table-cloth was more interesting and her fingertips traced invisible patterns on the material.

"So, who is the poor guy?" Jackson asked and deserved a warning nudge from their father.

"Well, you'll be pleased to hear it's not Jake!" Miley replied, slightly over-enthusiastically and her father frowned.

"Something tells me that you're worried over telling us about him." He said slowly, "Miles, please don't tell me he's someone as equally unsuitable as Jake, like Jesse."

"…Or a convict." Jackson sniggered, and this time Robbie Ray jabbed him.

Miley inhaled deeply, both hands pressed on the table as she released her sigh. "Okay… I'm sure you'll both remember that about a month ago I was trapped by the flooding in my home?"

"Can't say it rings a bell." Jackson said and took a bite out of his potato.

"Jackson…" Robbie Ray growled.

Miley only rolled her eyes, "Anyway, I was rescued by someone."

"Yes, that's right, that Lilly girl who you're staying with at the moment." Robbie Ray said carefully.

"Yeah." Miley cleared her throat, "I'm staying with her. And, I'm also _staying_ with her." She winced as she glanced up to meet her father's eyes. His expression was blank and that disturbed her, because Miley hated it when she couldn't read him.

"Dad… Okay, look, this is the thing… Lilly is one of the kindest, most selfless people I've ever met. She's also super intelligent and goes completely out of her way to help people out. She's completed over one hundred rescues and she's so conscientious of other people's feelings that she barely gives herself enough time to put together the pieces of her own life." Miley took another breath, "Plus she's beautiful. Like, so, so beautiful. Every time she walks into the room I want to run to her, I can't help it, and every time she has to go to work I feel so empty." Miley met her father's eyes once more, "Dad, I've never felt like this about _anyone_ before. She's changed me and how I see the world. I was lost, but she found me…"

Robbie Ray still hadn't spoken and Miley felt her throat constrict as tears pricked the backs of her eyes. She didn't want her father to disapprove, yet even more so she couldn't stop what was happening, because what she felt about Lilly was quickly becoming everything to her. "Daddy… I love you and I don't want you to be mad at me. But, I can't help the way that I feel…"

Miley trailed off and had to blink, to look away. She daren't risk glancing at her brother because his disapproval would only make the situation worse.

Robbie Ray cleared his throat, "Well, when are you going to invite her over to meet us?"

Warm tears landed on Miley's cheeks as she registered what he had said, "When would you like to meet her?" She asked quietly.

Robbie Ray smiled, leaning across to wipe away the tears with a gentle hand, "As soon as you deem possible. Miley, I haven't seen you this happy for years and I knew as soon as you landed that you would have big news for us. Heck, I even heard it when we've spoken on the phone, since you've been living with her something within you has changed for the better. And I couldn't be happier."

"Neither could I." Jackson said softly from his end of the table. "Thanks for being brave enough to tell us, Miles."

x-x-x

The once full pie dish now stood empty in the centre of the table and Miley was stuffed with a feeling of pure contentment as she let the back of her chair take her weight. Her father and brother were in similar states, though slightly worse for wear, and had even ventured to unbuckle their belts and the top buttons of their jeans.

"What a supper." Robbie Ray muttered with a smile as he rubbed his bloated belly.

Jackson only moaned his agreement and Miley laughed at them. "Look at the pair of you. You're just as bad as each other." She chided as she rose, with a slight wince, to clear the table of the debris of their meal.

"I should probably worry when you start making comparisons between me and your brother." Robbie Ray grumbled, yet the smile didn't fade. "Thank you for cooking for us darlin'."

"Yeah Miles, you've really outdone yourself this time." Jackson agreed and Miley quirked an eyebrow.

"Who issued you with the personality transplant?"

"Haha." Jackson sighed.

Miley smiled when she heard the men shuffle from their seats to join her at the sink. They stood in a line, with her brother and herself squabbling over dishes and cutlery in the washing bowl, whilst their father dried. Miley was taken back in time to before she had moved away and this sense of nostalgia was that sweetened cherry on top of the perfect cake of an evening.

Their industrious system at the sink was disturbed, however, by the ringing of a cell phone. "Oh, I think that's mine." Miley said and glanced over in the direction of her purse which lay on the couch. She withdrew her hands from the water, casting her eyes about for a towel to dry the suds and her father moved to answer it for her.

"Hello?"

Miley found a dishcloth and ran it over her hands whilst humming pleasantly to herself.

"Yes, I'll just get her for you." Robbie Ray said, yet he paused as he lowered the phone and looked again at the caller ID. "It's someone called Sarah on the phone for you, Miles." He said quietly and Miley didn't fail to notice the anxiety playing across his features.

Miley walked quickly across the room to take the phone from him. "Hello?"

_Miley? It's Sarah… I don't know if you remember me but I work with Lilly. We've met a couple of times before?_

"Yes, of course I know who you are." Miley said quickly. "You were there on the night of my rescue. Sarah, what's happened?"

_It's Lilly. She got trapped…_

Miley felt her legs begin to shake and she had to take a step back, to lower herself onto the couch and prepare herself for a conversation she wasn't willing to have.

"And?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Wishing Hole**

_I say love, it is a flower_

_And you its only seed…_

"Where are you?"

Her voice was weak in the dark and she coughed once more as her lungs twitched in discomfort against the dust that was mingled in with her breathing. She put her hand over her mouth, wincing at the raw skin which came into contact with her chaffed lips. Lilly had never known such agony as this before; her entire body was crying out in some kind of pain, yet she had to get past it for the sake of the other woman who had been trapped first.

"Suzanne? Can you hear me?" Lilly increased the level of her voice, tucking her chin beneath her sweater to muffle her choking coughs. She needed her ears to sound out the victim's answer above her rattled breath and the pounding inside her own head.

"I can hear you." The reply was frail, yet Lilly felt a small wave of relief roll over her.

"Where are you?" Lilly asked and she tried to pull herself up, yet a spasm of pain through her legs told her otherwise and she gasped. "Please, can you say something?"

"I'm stuck. I can't move. There's too much rubble of top of me."

"I can't get to you either." Lilly said, "My legs are trapped… It sounds like you're to my right…"

"I'm in a different room to you. You're in the utility room and I'm next door. The wall between the rooms was my only hope when the house caved in. I pressed myself against it and missed the majority of the collapse."

"Then why can I hear you now?"

"Ventilation." Suzanne's reply was weaker and Lilly could hear her breathing increase. "There's a space where the vent cover used to be. It came off a few months back and my husband never saw the sense to repair it…" She laughed despairingly, "Perhaps now that will be my only blessing. If I survive."

"You will." Lilly replied defiantly, "I swear to you, I will get you out of here."

She was answered by silence and Lilly felt a surge of rage towards herself; never before had she been so useless. Tears burned her eyes and Lilly squeezed them shut for a few long moments, pulling herself back into a state of calm. She lowered her arms to her sides and patted her palms over the floor of the room she had landed in. It was uneven and she had to be careful or her already damaged hands could suffer even further. Lilly found nothing beyond loose rubble or larger stones until her right hand began to trace the wall that her body was pressed up against, which Suzanne was behind. Her hand was sliding across a gritty surface and then it disappeared with a jerk and she retracted it quickly. She repeated her actions more cautiously and managed to mark out the frame of the space which was apparently a hole in the wall. She had found the ventilation duct.

"Suzanne?" Lilly tried again, aware that the other woman had not made a noise for a fair while.

"…Yes?" The reply came more slowly than Lilly would have liked, but now she had her proof that Suzanne had remained conscious.

"Are you near the ventilation shaft? The one where you said the covering was missing?"

More laboured breathing met Lilly's ears and she had to clench her jaw to prevent herself from calling out and rousing the woman to speak from her own panic.

"I am."

"So am I." Lilly replied, "I'm going to try and reach you." Lilly inhaled deeply, bracing herself for the shift, which her body was not going to like.

If her legs had voices, Lilly understood in that moment that they would have squealed in resentment. She gritted her teeth as she shuffled herself enough so that her whole arm could slide through the space in the wall, up to her shoulder, and it was by doing this that her groping fingertips encountered something soft.

"Suzanne, is that you? I think I've found you…"

The softness stirred beneath Lilly's hand and then another palm was pressed against her own. Slender fingers were gripping Lilly's and Lilly had to bite her lip to prevent the cry of pain escaping her when Suzanne's hand squeezed hers tightly and reminded her of just how badly she had grazed her skin when she fell.

"You're real… You're really real…" Suzanne gasped and Lilly heard her sob of relief as she turned Lilly's hand over in her own.

"I am." Lilly replied, her voice level and settled once more. "I need you to keep talking to me because soon the emergency services will be here and we'll be rescued. Suzanne, tell me about your daughter's first birthday…"

It came to her in a creeping whisper through the dark, yet it was there all the same and Lilly could release a sigh of relief as she listened to Suzanne's stories. They did little to ease the shooting pains in her legs, or muffle the tight pound of her head. She was aware of blood cooling on her scalp, crusting into her normally sun-kissed hair and of how her back ached to be sitting so still and so awkwardly. Lilly could see nothing of what was happening in the outside world, and she had no concept of time because the only senses she could appreciate were those which brought to her the sound of Suzanne's voice and the touch of her warm hand.

x-x-x

Something was irritating her and breaking through the perfect blackness that had surrounded her. She wished she hadn't been brought back to herself because with consciousness came a different hurt – the kind which developed from prolonged injuries where little had been done to resolve them.

Lilly's head was throbbing and with each steady pulse of her heart came a sickening wave of pain. She felt nauseous, though her stomach was empty and her mouth was dry for want of water. She was so thirsty and her lungs and throat itched from the dust. Her eyes were sore, her back twisted, and her legs numb. Her hand, however, still held onto Suzanne's and Lilly suddenly realised that _her_ hand was cold.

She swallowed and forced her voice out of redundancy, "Suzanne?" Lilly was hoarse with the attempt of speaking, but she wasn't about to be deterred. "Suzanne? I need you to say something."

Lilly rested her head against the wall whilst she pushed her whole body towards it as she felt further up Suzanne's arm. There came no response from the other woman and Lilly's heart rate twitched up a notch. She laid Suzanne's hand flat on the floor, palm facing upwards and pressed her fingertips into her wrist. There was a flutter of a pulse and Lilly seized Suzanne's hand in her own once more.

"Stay with me Suzanne…" Lilly murmured and she felt a slight squeeze back. Suzanne was holding on.

Lilly tilted her head back as the reason for her awakening made itself clear once more. There was noise coming from above her and the infinite darkness seemed to be changing from black to grey. "Hello?" She called out into the space above her head and this time, alongside the shifting of rubble, she could discern voices. "Hello?" Lilly increased the volume of her cry and had to cough because the effort of speaking louder was a strain.

Dust was streaming down from above, like mist at the end of a tall waterfall, and she had to avert her gaze whilst the grit invaded the air around her once more. She buried her chin into her jumper, forcing herself to inhale slowly through the material of her shirt until, suddenly, there was light.

Lilly's reaction was to jerk her eyes in the direction of the light and she immediately wished that she hadn't because the white brightness of the torch burned her retinas and doubled the pain in her head.

"We've found someone!" It was a man's voice that spoke and Lilly, squinting this time, returned her watch on the gap above her, yet she could see nothing apart from dark shadows beyond the torchlight.

"I'm Lilly, Lilly Truscott…" She gasped, "I'm fine, but you need to get to the woman in the next room. She's called Suzanne and her situation's critical." Lilly choked; pain shot through her chest when her heart rate picked up once more and a fresh bout of adrenaline began to shiver in her muscles.

"We've found Truscott." The man declared to his colleagues, apparently ignoring her requests and Lilly was panting as her voice turned into a plea.

"You need to help Suzanne first…" She was feeling delirious and her head was giddy from the previous impact it had received. Now that there was the promise of liberation from the earth her body was home to a contrast of desires. Lilly longed to aid the rescue of Suzanne and she was already stirring beneath her prison of rubble whilst her grip tightened around the other woman's hand. Yet she was also exhausted from a prolonged session of pain and it was becoming too much for her to handle. The jarring emotions made her feel even more ill and tears pricked her eyes as she sat in her wishing hole and begged some unknown force to take all of the burning light and absolute dark away. She needed to be carried from the thin line of life and death and be put to rest some place where she didn't need to think.

"Lilly?" A different voice was calling her name now and Lilly felt anger rise when she couldn't find the face beyond the light which clouded her vision. "Oh Lilly, thank God…" It was a female voice which spoke yet Lilly no longer cared for herself, or for the terse emotion which was ringing through the woman's tone.

"Save Suzanne. Don't worry about me… I'm fine." Lilly tried to say, but the clamour of the rescue party drowned out her voice. She rested her head against the wall, the cold surface trembling slightly whilst the team made their descent by altering the collapsed mortar around them.

Soon she could turn her eyes to see her rescuers because the light had been averted to sweep her cell. A man was bracing himself against the rubble and his face remained cast in shadows whilst a young woman was twisting herself closer to Lilly.

"We're not going to leave you here." The female promised and then her hand was resting against Lilly's cheek, stroking her face tenderly whilst a pair of softened hazel eyes flickered over her, examining just how badly she had been hurt. Lilly had never seen Joannie so worried.

"Please, you have to rescue Suzanne. She's on the other side of this wall and she's fading." Lilly said, and fear raged through her more strongly than she had known it yet, even through all of the darkness and the cold.

"We're doing what we can for her." Joannie promised, "But I've come for you." She smiled and the expression was sweet, though it did nothing to lift Lilly's spirits.

Lilly sighed, closing her eyes whilst Joannie and Michael, whose voice Lilly now recognised from other missions, began to pick away at the rubble that was covering her. She focused her attention away from herself and down her arm to her hand, which was still curled around Suzanne's. Lilly spoke to her inside her mind, sending the positive vibes to her through their connecting limbs, _Hold on Suzanne… We'll soon be out…_

Above her the space was widening and soon Lilly opened her eyes to find the expanse of the night sky in clear sight. More hands were reaching down into the void and with the swiftness which only excellent training and expertise in rescue can bring Lilly was moved onto a stretcher, and lifted from the hole. She was barely aware of how they took her away from the scene, or of the trolley that she was heaved onto. Lilly's thoughts still remained with the other woman, and her right hand was clenched into a fist as she continued to send out her silent prayer that Suzanne would be saved.

All the while Joannie remained by her side, ensuring that each process which took Lilly to the ambulance was completed smoothly. More than once Lilly felt her assuring touch brushing her arm or soothing over the grazed skin of her hand. She knew that she should be grateful to Joannie, yet the sensation of her closeness was strange and left Lilly only feeling hollow when a silent voice in her heart informed her that something was missing.

"Wait." Lilly said, just before she was lifted into the back of the ambulance. "Miley…" She murmured, "Has anyone told her…?"

Joannie shook her head, "Not that I'm aware of."

"I don't want her to worry…" Lilly sighed, "But…"

"Come on. We need to get you to hospital." Joannie interrupted gently. "I'll visit you soon, I'm just going to go over to your flat and put together a bag of your stuff, okay?"

"Okay." Lilly replied in a level voice. Since she had been dragged out of the hole her body had begun to ache even more and she welcomed the painkillers which the medical staff administered her with.

Joannie's hand slid from her own as she was tucked into the back of the ambulance and Lilly closed her eyes whilst she welcomed the darkness once more.


	5. Chapter 5

**Wishing Hole**

_It's the heart afraid of breaking  
That never learns to dance…_

Joannie flicked the light switch she knew was next to the door and the living space of Lilly's humble flat was illuminated in less than a second. She remained still in the doorway as her eyes drifted over the familiar furnishings of the room - this place which had been her sanctuary from the world. She had found her feet carrying her here when things ever became rough. She and Lilly had gotten drunk together on the couch and she had watched Lilly cry over sad movies more than a few times, whilst she had maintained a smug façade and laughed at her friend's evident weakness.

Yet for all of the room's apparent familiarity the flat had changed and the small differences made Joannie uneasy. She let herself in to Lilly's lounge and as she moved to the bathroom she regarded the bouquets of fresh flowers resting in vases with a small frown that settled across her brow. According to Lilly these were Miley's parting gifts to her. Whilst Lilly had been working Miley had filled her apartment with sweet smelling roses, tulips and lilies in a gesture that had nearly overwhelmed Lilly before the brunette left for Tennessee.

Lilly's bathroom now had a towel rail which held two towels, instead of one, and the cup by the sink contained both a purple and a yellow toothbrush. Joannie reached for the purple one and tucked it inside a wash bag she found in one of Lilly's cupboards. Stretched across the counter in front of the mirror were various moisturisers and make-up that Joannie had never known to exist in Lilly's flat before, and she shook her head wearily as she moved to the bedroom.

Joannie eased the door open cautiously and her eyes landed on the unmade bed with a strained attempt at indifference. She opened Lilly's closet instead and, after pushing aside Miley's dresses, she tugged out her favourite of Lilly's jeans and some comfortable clothes. She also helped herself to a couple of pairs of pyjamas and Lilly's hairbrush, which she picked up from the dresser.

It was just as Joannie was reaching for Lilly's glasses on her bedside table that she noticed new additions to the selection of pictures which normally rested there. Next to the photograph of Lilly in front of Maria's chosen helicopter were some Polaroid's that had been snapped recently. They showed a beaming blonde woman and a brunette wrapped up tightly in each other's arms. In one of the pictures, the brunette was kissing Lilly's cheek ardently and Joannie's hand brushed over the photos, acting on a strange impulse which turned the images face-down on the table.

x-x-x

The hospital corridors were practically empty at such an unreasonable hour of the day. Joannie passed the occasional nurse as she followed the directions she had been given to Lilly's room. She was beyond visiting hours, but it helped to have contacts in the building because they had admitted her without a second thought. Finally Joannie was sliding the door of Lilly's room open and stepping inside. She lowered the holdall to the floor and quietly closed the door behind her. Lilly was sleeping in the bed and she looked so fragile that Joannie wanted to shake her back to life. Joannie ignored the impulse and instead moved to take her place in the seat by Lilly's bed, reaching for her hand, yet stopping herself when she noticed that it was bandaged.

"Oh Lilly…" Joannie sighed and instead clasped her hands together in her lap. "Why did you have to do that? Try to complete a rescue on your own?" Joannie shook her head, her eyes on her hands now, "You could have died, and where would that have left me?"

She gained no response to her questions from person the bed, yet Joannie was content to listen to Lilly's level breathing. She secretly longed for the other woman to wake so that she could tell her of how they had retrieved Suzanne from the heap that was once her house. The other woman was in the same hospital as they were, only in the intensive care ward, but she was very much alive and soon she would be moved.

Joannie glanced back to Lilly, her eyes gliding over her battered form with a sympathy which was normally reserved only for family members. A vast array of emotions was sparking through her; sorrow, relief, anger, affection… making it difficult to pin one down and focus on it. Joannie smiled wryly; she had never felt as uncomfortable within herself as she had with Lilly over the past few months. Even now, whilst her eyes took in images of Lilly and branded them into her mind, making memories, Joannie had to repress impulses to give in to weeping and she was mentally holding herself back from reaching out to touch Lilly. There were boundaries which needed to be controlled and maintained, yet Joannie was close to overstepping them.

Lilly's hand twitched on the bed and gained Joannie's concentration. The blonde hair was stirring over the pillows and her eyes were fluttering open. Joannie held her breath as she leaned back in her seat and waited as Lilly's attention landed upon her.

She blinked a few times, slowly, and the small action of it cost a lot of effort. Finally her pink lips parted and a hoarse, "Miley?" escaped them.

Joannie laughed weakly and shook her head, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's only me."

"Joannie." Lilly sighed.

"Yeah." Joannie stood to reach for the bag she had left near the door. She stooped to delve inside and eventually found her prize. "Here, I brought you your glasses." She returned to Lilly's side and carefully lowered them onto her face, making sure to avoid the bandage which was wrapped across her temples. Then, finally, Lilly's sky-blue eyes were able to focus on her properly.

"Sorry Joannie, I'm blind today. Without my glasses one brunette becomes another." Lilly laughed feebly and then the amusement turned into a cough which left her gasping for breath.

"Woah, take it easy…" Joannie said and helped the blonde to sit so that she could rub circles in her back which seemed to ease her choking fit.

"Sorry." Lilly panted, "It seems I inhaled too much dust."

"And it's all settled in your lungs? Jesus Lilly, what did you think you were doing, diving in there?"

Lilly's cheeks had turned pink from the efforts her body had taken at clearing her lungs and her eyes were damp with tears of discomfort. "I didn't dive in there, Joannie." Lilly rasped, "I fell."

"The husband of the woman you fell down a hole for said that you had gone up there in an attempt at rescue."

Lilly breathed in shakily, "I went to find out if I could do something, but I knew I needed to wait and it was just as I was turning away that I lost my footing. The mortar shifted and I fell." Lilly turned away, breaking their gaze, "Am I going to be disciplined for this?"

"It's hard to say." Joannie replied and she hated the coldness to her tone. "I don't think so. We're all just so relieved that you're okay." Joannie finished, softening her voice as much as possible without giving into the tears which longed to be released, if she would only let them.

"And what about Suzanne, is she okay? Lilly asked hesitantly, apparently already fearing the worst.

"Lilly, look at me." Joannie said quietly and when Lilly trembled, she reached out to close her hand over Lilly's wrist. Her skin was warm and Joannie's fingers curled all the way around it. "Lilly…" The blonde blinked and then turned her eyes back to meet Joannie's. They were filled with a despairing sorrow and Joannie lost her breath because she had never seen such a beautiful sadness before. This was her favourite element to Lilly – the part which felt the emotions of others so keenly that she took them into herself. Normally this gave Lilly strength, yet sometimes they would weaken her to her core and this was one of those moments. Joannie smiled, "She made it."

Lilly's eyes widened behind her black-rimmed glasses, "She did?"

"Yes." Joannie grinned and her hand flew from Lilly's wrist to stroke her cheek in that same action she had administered when she had found Lilly beneath the rubble. "She's going to be fine."

Lilly's eyes closed and she leaned against Joannie's touch. "Thank God."

Lilly's eyebrows were creased together into a small frown and her lips pouted slightly as she exhaled a sigh of relief. Her cheeks still showed red patches which were signs of her exhaustion, and Joannie found her fingertips tracing the splotches and marvelling at the warmth which spilled from her skin.

When Lilly's eyes opened again, however, Joannie found herself quickly retracting her hand for within the normally light irises swirled a dark confusion. "Do you want me to get you anything?" Joannie asked carefully and Lilly shook her head.

"No. I'm fine. I see you've brought me some stuff from home." Lilly nodded in the direction of the carryall and Joannie rose to her feet.

"Yes, just some essentials which I thought you didn't want to be without."

"I think you missed one." Lilly said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Joannie asked, yet annoyance tugged at her insides because she knew what Lilly was implying.

"It doesn't matter." Lilly sighed, and the sigh turned into a yawn which lasted long seconds.

"You need to sleep." Joannie stated factually and Lilly nodded, her eyes already closing.

"Yeah."

"I'll be back to visit you later." Joannie promised.

Yet she heard no reply from the woman on the bed since Lilly was already drifting back into a healthy state of unconsciousness. Joannie rolled her eyes as she let her feet guide her to the exit, her eyes remaining on her friend until she was easing the door shut behind her. She stood to lean against the entrance of the room for a few seconds, with her head tilted backwards and then she pushed herself forwards before pulling up abruptly on sight of the other woman who was watching her from a distance.

Joannie's jaw clenched and she felt her fingers curl almost into fists until she forced herself to relax them. She needed to remember who she was and where they were. However she hadn't been expecting the other woman to be there, which is what had her stunned into an unnecessarily offensive position.

Joannie allowed herself to inhale and then exhale before stretching her legs and moving towards the female in the corridor, who was staying where she was. As she approached, Joannie felt her chest tighten and the way she was carrying herself became more rigid. She was nervous, which was uncharacteristic, and she was defiant at the same time. The worst part of it all was that she had no need to feel this way about the other woman, and the surge of anger within her was really meant for herself. Yet her heart was not allowing her to process the logic behind the quiet rage that lurked within her breast and she was prepared to take it out on the woman before her.

Joannie stopped and glanced up to meet the other woman's eyes. As she did so, she instantly remembered disliking the fact that this brunette was taller than her. Her eyes were also such a piercing blue that Joannie felt as if her mind was being read and the thought was unnerving.

Her lips curled into a forced smile, "Hello Millie…"

"It's Miley."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Thanks for all the support for this story so far. I really enjoyed writing it... Here's the next chapter of the tale. Let me know what you think._

_x_

**Wishing Hole**

_It's the dream afraid of waking  
That never takes the chance…_

"Why does it always have to be raining?"

It was a whisper of thought which she allowed herself to voice whilst she sat on the backseat of the chauffeured car. Her breath was fogging up the glass as she watched the familiar town pass by, her round eyes flickering over the endless lights which streamed past the windows as the water trailed over the panes.

Her hands were squeezed tightly together in her lap, fingers curled over each other as she chewed on her lip and fretted and shivered on the wide seat. She felt achingly alone and strangely torn because with each breath a fresh chill trembled through her. Miley Stewart was nursing a small hole of shock which had been rent through her chest only hours before. She'd discovered that Lilly Truscott had become trapped underground in a rescue mission gone wrong, and Miley had fled her family home in tears - the airport being her only goal.

Robbie Ray had seen the good sense to follow his daughter and it was with his credit card and his calm mindset that had set Miley on a flight back to this city where all of the madness seemed to happen. She'd sat on the plane watching the blackness of the night pass in a block colour through the cabin windows, with only the flashing of the light on the tip of the wing to remind her that they were going somewhere. Her father had hired a car directly from the airport to take Miley to the hospital because she needed to see Lilly. If she didn't then it was uncertain what would happen, that much Miley made clear and Robbie Ray understood his daughter.

Miley read the road signs as the car sped along the highway, easily swallowing up the long miles but not fast enough for her liking. She fidgeted on the leather seat, her jeans squeaking irritatingly against the material and she gritted her teeth. Her fingers returned to her pocket where she curled them around her cell, yet she quickly released it because no one had called her. Since that first conversation on the phone to Sarah she had been left to her own devices and Miley found the silence disturbing.

"How much farther?" Miley asked suddenly, a breathy plead as she leaned forward and called out to the driver.

He turned his head slightly when he gauged her request, "About ten minutes."

Miley nodded and eased herself backwards again. Her body was rigid with anticipation and she could feel the tick of her pulse in her throat. Cruel images were flashing across her mind of a very pale Lilly, stretched out and cold whilst her last breaths rose and fell in her shattered chest. Miley had to blink back tears and her heart constricted painfully within her breast; this was all too much.

_Please let her be okay… Please let her… Oh, Lilly…_

Miley's attention returned to her hands, white at the knuckles from where she had been forcing too much pressure upon them in her nervous state. She released them and flexed her fingers, allowing the blood its chance to get through to the numbed tips. Raising her hand fretfully to her lips she chewed on her nails, her teeth grazing the skin of her hands until the car slowed and she could dare to glance up.

Her lips parted as she glanced up at the familiar sign, along with the stark white light, which illuminated the front of the hospital. She barely waited for the car to stop before she was opening the door and bailing out, hardly hearing the driver's promise to wait around the back, as she ran up to and burst through the front doors.

Panting slightly, Miley slowed her pace and gazed about jerkily, knowing that she had to at least appear calm. She inhaled deeply as she approached the reception desk and a woman glanced up at her from behind a pair of half-moon glasses.

"Can I help you?" The receptionist asked gently and Miley swallowed.

"I'm here to see someone who was admitted earlier… I mean, yesterday… Last night."

"You do know you've missed visiting hours?" The woman replied and reached up to adjust her glasses.

"Yes." Miley answered tersely, "But I need to see her. I've got to see Lilly Truscott."

A pair of sandy eyebrows rose behind the glasses the receptionist wore, "Lilly Truscott?"

"Yeah, that's right." Miley met the woman's eyes sharply, "Is she okay? Where is she?"

"We have her here. She's in a private room…" She inhaled deeply, "If you don't mind me asking, who are you? And what is your relationship with Lilly Truscott?"

"My name is Miley Stewart. Please, I've just flown back from Tennessee and I _need_ to see her. A month ago she rescued me and brought me here after my house was flooded and if I can't see her now…" Miley broke off when the receptionist held up her hand and exhaled a soothing shushing noise that brought Miley back down onto her heels, upon which she had been bouncing anxiously.

"Here." The receptionist handed Miley a card where she had written a room number down. "Show this to anyone who tries to stop you and they'll let you pass. Please don't be too long – although Lilly's condition is stable she will be in a lot of shock and she needs rest."

"Thank you." Miley gasped and she was gone, launching herself towards the lift and jabbing the call button with swift, impatient jerks of her wrist.

Leaping inside of the elevator Miley allowed herself to be taken up two floors to the hallway which would begin the counting of the doors until she was outside Lilly's private room. When she was released from the confines of the lift after eleven unbearably long seconds Miley attacked the corridor on legs that were becoming increasingly like spaghetti. She had to pause and lean against the wall whilst she caught her breath and paid heed to the pounding of her heart, and it was then that she noticed Joannie.

The other brunette was just letting herself out of a room which bore the same number plate as the digits the receptionist had noted down on the scrap of paper for Miley. She seemed incredibly weary and was taking a moment to rest against the door, her head tilted back as her chest heaved a great sigh. Miley turned her eyes to the floor, a fresh wave of panic mounting in her now on sight of the other woman and her apparent sorrow.

When Miley next glanced upwards Joannie was staring at her intensely from across the few yards which separated them. Miley chewed her lip, her throat suddenly dry and sticking to itself whilst she watched Joannie take a measure of her and then begin to walk in Miley's direction. Joannie's expression was unreadable; the planes of her face appearing sharp beneath the harsh lights of the hospital and her entire body seemed tense when she came to a halt before Miley.

"Hello Millie."

Her voice was soft yet Miley couldn't help the pang of dislike which was triggered within her chest, "It's Miley." She replied, just as quietly and without any hint of the hidden malice she felt towards the slightly shorter woman. "Have you been in to see…?" Miley trailed off uselessly and Joannie followed her eyes back to the door.

"Lilly? Yes, I have."

"How's she doing?" Miley tried to swallow, yet it was hopeless and a strange, prickly heat was spreading through her. She recognised the cloudy interference buzzing through her mind to be fear of confrontation and Miley had to take a subtle step backwards whilst she sought for air.

Joannie shrugged, "She'll be okay. She's sleeping at the moment."

"Oh." Miley let the breath she was holding out in a deflated rush.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Joannie had jammed her hands into the pockets of her jeans, "I thought you were meant to be in Tennessee?"

Miley nodded, "I was. But I flew back out as soon as I heard what happened."

"You did?" Joannie quirked an eyebrow, "You know, we've got the situation under control."

Miley smiled tightly, "So I see. But I needed to come, I have to be here." Her eyes flickered back to the door behind Joannie and this time the other woman didn't follow her.

"Well, like I said, she is sleeping right now so there was no need to hurry."

This time Miley heard the weight behind Joannie's words. It was only a light touch of coldness, the slightest stress on her attempts at remaining polite, yet it was enough. "Well I did and now I'm here." Miley spread her hands out before her confidently. "And, if you'll excuse me, I'd better go and see my girlfriend."

She made to step by Joannie, who didn't oblige her by moving and remained static in the corridor – the one other dark mark besides Miley in the long, white hallway. It was as Miley walked past that Joannie pivoted elegantly on her heels. "Girlfriend. You know I haven't ever heard you use that word before to describe Lilly."

It was as if Miley's feet had become stuck to the squeaky clean floor and she turned, somewhat stiffly, to face Joannie once more. "That's who she is…" The burning in her chest was bubbling upwards and Miley couldn't stop her lips from forming unthought-of words, "And, if you don't mind me saying, I have called her that before and often. You just never happen to be around when I say it." Miley's cheeks darkened and she felt unsteady. She hated conflict and she disliked the edge which Joannie always had on her in terms of self-assuredness and inner strength.

Joannie sniffed, "Okay."

"Okay?" Miley repeated, the rush of blood now spreading into her ears and she had to breathe deeply, "Joannie, can I just ask you what your problem is?"

"Problem?"

"Yes." Miley gritted her teeth, "With me."

Joannie was too easily unconcerned and it was maddening for Miley when her legs were locking up and her shoulders were automatically squaring to receive the brunt of it. She met Joannie's eyes, which housed disdain and even tedium towards their conversation, and Miley wanted to snarl but she still maintained her basic self-control.

"Did I ever say that I have a problem with you?"

"No. But I've always known about it. You've never liked me, not from the day that we met properly for the first time. Lord knows why when all I've ever been is hospitable towards you." Miley spoke quietly yet her anger spread through her calm words and Joannie seemed to absorb it. She was adopting her stance carefully, opening herself out to feel the force of Miley's anger and letting everything Miley said slide off her.

"I just don't know how much I believe your relationship with Lilly." Joannie replied, her hazel eyes scanning Miley's with the intimidating scrutiny she had become famous for. "It seems awfully convenient to me for you to suddenly become so attached to her when you had so little."

"I can't believe we're even having this conversation." Miley seethed from between her teeth.

"Then you run off home once all of your bank details come through…"

"I came back." Miley said strongly and she flinched when her words bounced off the walls, chastising her for her outburst in the quiet space of the hospital.

Joannie shrugged, "An insignificant detail. We all have to pretend to care sometimes."

"I do care." Miley's voice cracked, her emotion seeping through her anguish. Joannie no longer mattered. Her form seemed to dissolve away through the pool of tears which now blurred threateningly before Miley's eyes. Further images of a broken Lilly were overlapping and taking over her mind, the quiet space which no one else could reach was no longer sacred and Miley was becoming undone.

"Well, I don't know about that." Joannie said finally, in almost a whisper, and she backed away from Miley, her feet taking her in the opposite direction until she was gone.

"Jesus." Miley was shivering and she raised her hand to swipe angrily at her eyes. Her nose was dripping unattractively and her sense of fatigue returned stronger than ever. She was running out of time before a nurse would come and tear her away from Lilly, probably on Joannie's orders. She hadn't even gotten started.

Miley glanced up and walked quickly to the door of Lilly's room, she only hovered outside for a moment when she heard further footsteps on the hard floor of the hallway and then she darted inside. The room was dimly lit by machines monitoring the pulse of Lilly's heart, which was steady. An IV drip was inserted into Lilly's hand administering both pain killing relief to her system and other medication that was keeping her sedated.

She moved to the chair beside Lilly's bed yet paused before she sat and from above Miley cast her eyes carefully over Lilly's form, taking her in. Her blonde hair was swept back from her face and it spilled over the white pillows of her hospital bed. Lilly's bright, blue eyes were closed and dark shadows lingered beneath them. Cream-coloured gauze was wrapped around Lilly's temples and more bruises were evident along her jaw line. Purple flowers of damage had blossomed across Lilly's arms and chest, and through the parted material of her night gown Miley could see further signs of where her body had taken a battering.

Miley's legs trembled and she had to sit. She longed to take Lilly into her arms and absorb all of the pain her girlfriend must have been experiencing into her own being through their embrace. It was enough though for her to sit beside Lilly and to watch the continuous rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Lilly was alive and that was sufficient for Miley.

"Lilly…" Miley sighed, and her chest burned as she leaned forward in her chair and hesitated before she began to speak. "Lilly, I can't believe what's happened. You're going to hear this from so many people so I'll try to say it differently." Miley swallowed, she was keeping her voice low so as not to actually wake the other woman, yet she had to say the words before they spilled out from her with more might behind them than she would like.

"You were trapped beneath a building. I just don't understand. Where did you get the crazy idea from? Why would you do it?" Miley's voice was rising and she knew that it would be a struggle to contain herself. "But I know why you would. You did it because you're a hero – it's like you were born to step in and save people. Lord knows you did it with me." A flicker of a smile curled in the corner of Miley's mouth for a moment. "And I'll always be grateful for that… Just, please, don't do this to me again."

Miley choked, "You're meant to be the strong one." She had to close her eyes and breathe deeply, and when she opened them again her cheeks were damp with tears. "Not me. I'm nothing compared to you."

She shook her head, "I wasn't there when it happened today but…Basically I just want you to know how I need you. And, Lilly, I want you to know that I won't let you down. How I can't let you go… Lilly…" Miley was on her feet again, her oceanic eyes drinking in every single piece of her girlfriend asleep on the bed. She sighed and smiled through the tears streaming from her eyes, without the power to stop them.

Then Miley was closing the distance between them carefully until her lips were pressing the lightest of kisses against Lilly's. It only lasted seconds but just feeling the warmth of Lilly's mouth against her own and the familiar softness of her pink lips was enough for Miley.

As Miley drew away, Lilly's eyes fluttered open and Miley smiled more brightly to see the cloudy irises trying to focus on her. Lilly was watching Miley through half-closed eyes and she released a weak sigh as her lips parted. "Joannie?"

It was only a whisper and yet it slipped from Lilly's lips with the affect of encasing Miley's heart in a block of sheer ice. The brunette gasped and stepped backwards, her hand flying to her chest and grasping her shirt over the pounding organ which seemed to be trying to break through her ribs. Miley's eyes burned with horrified tears and she stumbled to the door, groping blindly for the handle behind her.

She did not look back to see Lilly's head fall sideways on the pillow as she drifted back to sleep. Miley barely saw the concerned nurse that she collided with as she reeled backwards and down the corridor. All she could see was the unsteady pattern of her feet through anguish-lined eyes, and all she could feel was a wrenching pain that was pulling her heart apart.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. Here's the next!_

_x_

**Wishing Hole**

_It's the one who won't be taken,  
Who cannot seem to give…_

"And how are you feeling this morning, Lilly?"

The nurse had a high voice which rippled through Lilly Truscott, though not uncomfortably, and she had to swallow before she could clear her throat and answer the woman. "I'm okay, thank you."

Felicity, the nurse, nodded as she moved nearer and tended to the drip which was wired to Lilly's hand. "I think we can get rid of this now." She offered Lilly a reassuring smile whilst she proceeded to unscrew the tube from the plug in the back of Lilly's hand with practiced ease. "Right, are you hungry?"

Lilly shrugged, she really hadn't given things like eating much thought since she had woken, confused and groggy, only an hour ago and called for the nurse. She had been lucky to get Felicity, whom she had met during previous visits to the hospital and knew from both a social capacity as well as through a professional one. "I think I could eat."

"Good." The nurse nodded encouragingly and offered Lilly a bright smile. "Seriously though, how are you doing?"

Lilly smiled weakly in response, "I feel as if I've had a house dropped on top of me."

"Well, that would be about right, wouldn't it?" Felicity acknowledged sympathetically. "Oh, Lilly…"

"I know, I know… Whatever made me risk my life and jump into the void of a collapsed building?" Lilly sighed, "It was an accident. Everyone seems happier to leap to the conclusion that I did it on purpose – that I've got delusions of being some sort of superhero."

"You may not have jumped in there on purpose but I'm sure you would have been thinking about it." Felicity replied quietly, "I know you, Lilly."

Lilly's eyes strayed to the window and she noticed for the first time that the sun was battling to escape the clouds in fits and starts before it was covered again. There was something wrong, yet she couldn't put her finger on it and this niggling feeling had been bothering her since before she had awoken that morning. "I remember from yesterday Joannie saying that Suzanne – the woman I had dived in after, was in the intensive care unit. Is she still there?" Lilly turned her eyes back to meet those of the nurse.

"No, she's not there anymore. She's been moved to another ward, but she's been asking after you."

"Do you think I'll be able to go and see her?" Lilly asked, propping herself up further on her pillows and Felicity moved to make them more comfortable for her.

"I think that if you didn't she'd be deeply disappointed."

Lilly nodded and watched as Felicity stepped to the foot of the bed and made some notes on the chart which detailed Lilly's progress. "Have I had any other visitors?" She enquired suddenly.

Felicity frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Apart from Joannie. Like Sarah or…"

The nurse shook her head, "Not that I'm aware of. Do you want me to check for you?"

"No, it doesn't matter." Lilly said and forced a smile. For, really, who else was to know that she was there?

"Okay. Well, I'm going to find out what's going on with your breakfast situation and then I'll be right back." Felicity chirped brightly.

Lilly waited until Felicity had left the room before she squeezed her eyes together tightly shut and wished for the cause of the ache within her breast to make itself known. She missed Miley terribly and longed to speak with her, if only to hear the sound of her voice. Yet there was something else and it was beginning to boil back into an unsettling reality. It started off as small shadows creeping about the edges of her mind, but soon she was pinning them down and drawing them in. Her hand flew from the bed sheets to her lips, caressing the curve of her mouth whilst she remembered just who had touched her there last.

"Oh."

x-x-x

She was sitting still and yet the walls of the hospital passed by her without letting her stop and get her bearings. Not that she needed her bearings since she was being driven about in a wheelchair by a porter who had always harvested a soft spot for her.

"Here we are Lilly." Sam stated when he brought her disability vehicle to a halt beside the bed of a woman Lilly had never seen before, but she knew her stories.

"Thanks Sam."

"I'll be back." He threatened in an appalling impression of the Terminator and, with an uplifting pair of thumbs-up, he left her in peace.

Lilly only rolled her eyes before she realised that the woman in the bed was watching her and she smiled apologetically, "You just can't get the staff these days."

Suzanne laughed weakly, "No, you can't." A comfortable pause settled about them then whilst the two women took a moment to gather their thoughts about each other.

Lilly had never seen Suzanne before, even though they had spent enough time buried beneath a building together, and she found it interesting to finally discover that the image she had made of Suzanne in her mind was completely different to the actual person. Suzanne's face was lined with both worry and scratches, along with a deep tiredness which Lilly understood because she felt it herself. Her entire body ached but this was nothing compared to what Suzanne must be feeling. The other woman had brown hair streaked with premature strands of grey and it almost shocked Lilly to see signs of age so callously engrained in a woman who was only in her thirties.

"It's so strange to see you in person." Suzanne said quietly, "Before you were only a voice to me on the other side of the wall, but now you're real."

"I've always been real." Lilly replied with a small smile. "Here." She reached out and took Suzanne's hand into her own.

"Ah, yes." Suzanne squeezed Lilly's hand, "I remember you now."

"My name is Lilly Truscott."

"You're twenty-four years old and you were born in Malibu, California."

"You remembered!" Lilly exclaimed gently and she felt her cheeks tug her lips into an even brighter smile.

"Of course. When you've been trapped in the dark and you might be about to die you remember the words of your rescuer."

Lilly shook her head, "I can't take the responsibility for that, for rescuing you, although I wish I could and, in hindsight, I probably made it worse."

"How?"

"It was more difficult for the team to get you out because they had better access to me first."

"I don't know about that." Suzanne chided, "All I know is that when you took my hand and started talking to me I felt that I would live. Before then I was about to give up. I was crushed beneath a house and by some miracle they didn't even have to amputate to get me out."

"I'm really glad."

"They didn't have to amputate because you told them how I was laying, and the way that the building had fallen on me when I was too weak to say anything." Tears were covering the grey irises of Suzanne's eyes, "Without you I would have been lost but, Lilly, you found me."

Lilly cast her gaze downwards since she was unable to keep Suzanne's which was more devotional than Lilly believed she deserved. The feelings within her were confusing – she knew she should allow herself to be blissfully happy and let the woman's words affect her as they were probably true, yet she also felt sad. It would be many long weeks until Suzanne was out of hospital and her family life was changed, scarred, perhaps permanently.

"I'm so glad you're safe." Lilly croaked eventually and returned to see Suzanne smiling upon her.

"Thanks to you. And, Lilly, no matter what happens I don't want you to beat yourself up about it. You fell into that mess for a reason and you saw me through."

"All I did was sit there and hope that it would stay dry."

"Then maybe that wish was enough."

A pair of footsteps approaching Lilly from behind brought the young woman out of her reverie. "I would like to see you again, properly next time."

"Then come and visit me. You know where I am." Suzanne replied and her tone was warm. "Anytime."

Lilly nodded, "You can count on it."

Sam released the brake of the chair and he was soon tugging Lilly backwards. Suzanne raised her hand to weakly wave Lilly out, and Lilly returned the gesture. There was nothing more she could do for Suzanne, save visits to keep her company, but she could live in peace with the fact that the biggest mistake of her career hadn't led to a total disaster. The blithe smile which had yet to leave the lips of her fellow victim was enough for now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Wishing Hole**

_And the soul, afraid of dying  
That never learns to live…_

Lilly was standing by the window and Joannie paused in the doorway to the hospital room before she entered. The blonde's features were drawn and tired, her light eyes scanning the skies beyond the glass with a deep thoughtfulness and Joannie felt the fluttering of nerves set in.

"Hey. Are you ready to go?" She asked quietly and the silence which fell between them was palpable.

Lilly didn't act as if she had heard Joannie at first, remaining content to keep her attention on the movements of the clouds and the dancing of the light when flashes of it caught on the windscreens of cars as they passed on the highway below. Joannie had offered to drive her home on her first visit to Lilly during proper consciousness the day before and she was surprised when the blonde took her up on the offer, only for the day after. She wasn't sure if Lilly should be leaving the safety of the hospital and she seemed shaky in her movements when she had attempted to prove herself earlier that morning. Yet Lilly was determined and this was supported by the fact that she was physically strong, so the doctors had been comfortable in releasing her.

"I can't believe the sun's shining." Lilly said calmly, and Joannie's concentration lifted from her shoes to meet Lilly's bemused expression.

"Apparently the weather's meant to be good all week." Joannie replied, and she wanted to roll her eyes in disbelief at their conversation. The weather really wasn't one of her favourite topics, but she would take it.

Lilly was still smiling, yet Joannie couldn't determine the reason behind this. She was reassured when Lilly moved to pick up the carryall from the bed and she had the chance to step in and snatch it up first. "Hey!" Lilly proclaimed feebly, but Joannie only smirked.

"You're not meant to be doing any of that. I've got this one – you just need to work on carrying yourself to the car. Or do you want me to call Sam and his wheelchair again?"

Lilly grimaced, "I'd rather walk."

"Shame."

Joannie signalled for Lilly to lead the way out the room, but really she just wanted to check whether her friend would be able to make the journey without assistance. Lilly was wobbly on her legs, yet she was also strong-willed and Joannie watched as she proudly lifted her chin and strode out first.

The journey to Joannie's car was spent quietly with Joannie stepping in occasionally to lend a hand to Lilly, propping her up by her elbow when she threatened to falter. Few words passed between them and it was a relief when Joannie could open the passenger door for Lilly and let her slide in.

"How was that?" Joannie asked quietly when she turned the key in the ignition to start the car engine.

"Fine." Lilly replied, equally as soft, "I'm just a bit sore. Give me a few days and I'll be back to my old self."

She smiled properly then and Joannie, caught off-guard by the spark of amusement, almost lost herself over it. "As long as the old Lilly doesn't fall down any more holes then I think that'll be okay." Joannie replied dryly, steadying herself through teasing the other woman who only pouted and resumed her temporarily displaced attention with the view from the car window.

Lilly remained lost in thought for the entire journey and Joannie didn't mind because at least the blonde wasn't criticising her driving, or singing out of tune to the radio. Still, Joannie wouldn't have cared if Lilly had changed radio stations in favour of something lame like Hannah Montana or asked her to slow down a little. It was not usual for the blonde to be so quiet and Joannie felt the guilt grind through her – she should have told Lilly that Miley was in town.

Joannie slipped the car into neutral when they stopped in the car-park in the basement of Lilly's building. "Well, here we are." Joannie stated and Lilly smiled weakly.

"Yeah. We're here."

"Home sweet home." Joannie reached across and nudged Lilly, unable to find the appropriate words. "I'll get your bag."

Joannie led their slow way through the entrance to the apartment block and she called for the elevator whilst Lilly answered the porter's questions dutifully; promising not to be so reckless in future, as she had with everyone else she had spoken to since her accident.

The flat was empty when Joannie finally pushed the front door open and let Lilly step in first. "There we go." She said and moved to put Lilly's bag on the kitchen table.

She followed Lilly's gaze around the room and noticed how the flowers in their vases had all been replaced with a fresher stock of daisies and tulips in bright colours. _Sarah must have dropped by…_ Joannie thought to herself, before shrugging it off. "Can I get you anything?" She asked Lilly, but the blonde only wandered to the couch and sat down wearily.

"No."

"Glass of water?"

"No, thank you."

"Are you hungry?"

Lilly shook her head and Joannie chewed her lip as an impatient snap threatened to shift her mood. Yet it was only a threat and Joannie was surprised when the feeling changed to sympathy, undermined with the guilt which still continued to gnaw away at her.

"I should probably call Miley." Lilly said then, quietly, and Joannie sighed.

"Yes."

"I can't believe I haven't spoken to her. Has she called you?"

Joannie shook her head, "No, she hasn't called me." It wasn't exactly a lie, but she wasn't being truthful. "Do you want…"

"What?" Lilly's attention had returned to Joannie.

"Do you want me to go?" Joannie asked, and she hated herself for the tone of self-pity in her voice.

"I don't know." Lilly buried her face in her hands. "I need to talk to you about something. Will you come and sit with me?"

Joannie nodded hesitantly before moving over to the couch and perching awkwardly a little way from Lilly. "What's up?"

Lilly ran her hands through her hair, "I don't know. I think something's happened… No, I'm certain it's happened but I'm not sure whether it's something I should bring up."

"Lilly, I can't help you unless you tell me what you're thinking."

She was answered only with a meek whimper as Lilly lowered her hands and glanced up at her. Lilly's sky-blue irises had darkened and she looked exhausted whilst her eyes flickered over Joannie's features. Joannie continued to meet Lilly's gaze as each woman did battle to determine the other's thoughts first.

"Do you have feelings for me?" Lilly asked softly.

Joannie blinked, "No."

"I don't believe you."

"Well you should."

"Why?"

"Because I don't."

Lilly shifted herself on the couch until she was facing Joannie directly, "Don't give me all this crap." Lilly pleaded, "I need to know the truth because you're my friend and this is something that has to come out."

Joannie turned resolutely aside and fixed her gaze on the door. "There's nothing to say."

"You kissed me in the hospital." Lilly whispered, "Why?"

"I kissed you?" Joannie's eyes widened in surprise.

"I woke up and you were there. And then you kissed me."

"Lilly…"

"No. Joannie, I need to know why you kissed me."

"I can't answer that!" Joannie said and suddenly her feet were beneath her because she was standing.

Lilly swayed dangerously when she stood up beside her and from impulse Joannie reached out to stop her from falling. Her hands clutched Lilly by the elbows as she steadied Lilly by drawing her closer to her own sturdy frame. Only then was she aware of the tension in Lilly's body and the way that her heart was pounding within her breast all the quicker the nearer that Lilly became.

"Lilly…" Joannie said, her tone intending to be a warning when really it came out as a breathy plea.

"You kissed me." Lilly repeated slowly.

Then Joannie couldn't bear it any longer. Using the strength she possessed, which she knew Lilly didn't have, she annihilated the distance between them by crushing Lilly against her, and pressed her lips against Lilly's in a fervent kiss.

Lilly remained rigid in Joannie's arms, but Joannie was beyond caring as she moved to bind the pair together where they stood, with Lilly propped up by Joannie, and Joannie kissed Lilly's lips with a passion she had only recently discovered. A thrill of fear was moving through Joannie's blood yet it wasn't enough to stop her because she hadn't known lust like this before. It was blurring every other thought in her mind like a red haze that distanced all but what was happening in those bruising moments.

"Please…" Lilly's breath was hot on Joannie's lips and her hands were shaking whilst they pushed against her chest. "…Stop."

Joannie pulled back enough to let Lilly have the air she needed. The blonde woman was trembling as she stood in Joannie's arms and Joannie moved so that she was supporting Lilly better, cradling her friend into her rather than grasping at her. "I'm sorry. Lilly, I'm so sorry."

"Joannie, where did this come from?" Lilly whispered, daring to meet Joannie's eyes for the first time and her own were filled with great sorrow.

"I don't know." Joannie shook her head, "I wish I did."

Lilly was dislodging herself carefully from Joannie, yet she did not move back to the couch and continued to stand before her. "You know, this isn't the right way to go about it." Lilly said quietly. "Sometimes it's better to talk."

"I couldn't help myself."

"You nearly suffocated me." Lilly said with a half-smile.

"Well, perhaps I've been suffocating in myself for a while."

The amusement dropped from Lilly's features immediately. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Joannie shook her head, "You're completely right. Friends are meant to talk and tell each other how they're feeling. I should have let you know that I've been feeling differently about you for a while now. Like, I love you more than a friend should love another friend. But, what I just did – the wrong felt so right and it was like I was someplace else or something. I couldn't feel the ground beneath me anymore and you were there… You were mine…" Joannie stopped when she saw Lilly's face.

"But I'm not yours." Lilly sighed and took a step forward, reaching for Joannie's hand, "I will never be yours because I don't feel that way about you." She licked her lips, "Joannie, you're my _best friend_ and I will always be there for you. Just, not in that way. We won't work together like that and you know it. I think you need to find someone else because how you're talking about me doesn't sound quite right. I'm not a possession and I'm not just going to be someone that will be around when you want crazy sex…" Lilly paused as Joannie's eyes burned with uncharacteristic tears.

She moved even nearer and her hands ran a trail up Joannie's arms to her shoulders as she drew her into an embrace. "However, I am still your friend and I'm always going to be around if you need a shoulder to cry on."

"I know." Joannie gasped and she buried her face into Lilly's shoulder, inhaling the familiar fragrance of Lilly's detergent and the sweet scent of her hair. "Hey, maybe someday I'll find someone like you?"

Lilly laughed and Joannie smiled as her best friend's entire body shook with the effort of it. She wrapped her own arms around Lilly and clung to her tightly. "You just like the idea of fishing people out of holes." Lilly murmured affectionately.

"No, I just like the idea of you." Lilly was silent and Joannie squeezed her eyes together tightly as she inhaled, wishing that she had never said anything. "I guess I didn't know how bittersweet this would taste… Holding you like this, but knowing nothing more could come of it."

"You'll be okay." Lilly replied blindly.

"I know." Joannie released Lilly and leaned back so that she could meet her eyes, "I already know that." Somehow Joannie managed to find the strength to smile. "I'd better go."

"Don't." Lilly said quietly, "I don't think you should be on your own."

Joannie shook her head, "Stop being nice. You're always being nice." She raised her hand to swipe at her eyes, "That's your problem." Joannie laughed weakly, "Seriously though, I'm outta here. And you've got an answering machine to listen to." Joannie pointed to the red light which was blinking but Lilly didn't turn her attention away.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"Lilly," Joannie's tone had turned into mild exasperation, "I think I should be asking you that question. You're the one who's just come out of hospital." Lilly looked as if she was about to say something else, but Joannie dragged her back into her arms instead. "I'll swing by tomorrow to see if you're still alive."

"Until tomorrow then." Lilly sighed resignedly. She pressed a kiss against Joannie's cheek before Joannie retreated to the door, her palm flying to the place where Lilly's lips had been and she pretended to swoon in gratitude after the small gesture of affection. It was banal but Joannie felt safer turning emotions into games and she was already drained from her previous outburst of honesty.

The last thing Joannie saw as she closed the door of Lilly's flat behind her was a curtain of sheer exhaustion which swept across Lilly's features, while the blonde woman lowered herself back onto her couch. Joannie swallowed, she would take the bruise of Lilly's rejection; Lilly was worth it, and Joannie knew it. Although, when she'd hit her, she'd hit her hard.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: We're almost at the end... I'm not sure whether this sequel has been up to scratch but we're nearly there so I might as well complete it anyway, right?_

_x_

**Wishing Hole**

_T__he night has been too lonely,  
And the road has been too long.  
And you think that love is only  
For the lucky and the strong…_

She had never been kissed like that before and she sat, in shock, upon her couch with shaking fingertips tracing her lips.

"_Lilly…" Joannie said, __in a whisper which was filled with so much pain._

"_You kissed me." Lilly repeated slowly, unable to stop herself because she was still reeling from the realisation she had made the day before. It couldn't be possible – and yet it was because, suddenly, Joannie was kissing her again._

_Lilly was trapped within Joannie's arms, her senses burning whilst Joannie attempted to consume all of her. She felt hot and weakened at the same time as Joannie's mouth, hard and unyielding at first, crushed her own and drained her of her strength. Then Joannie was tentative, and a soft whimper uncurled from her throat. Lilly's lips parted in reaction to the sound and Joannie was grasping her nearer once more. It was overwhelming and soon Lilly was struggling to push her away._

"_Please…" Lilly's breath was hot on Joannie's lips and her hands were shaking as they pushed against her chest. "…Stop."_

_Joannie pulled back enough to let Lilly have the air she needed. Lilly was trembling as she stood in Joannie's arms and Joannie moved so that she was supporting Lilly better, cradling her friend into her rather than grasping at her. "I'm sorry. Lilly, I'm so sorry…"_

Lilly crossed her arms over her chest and leaned forwards as she hugged herself. Her eyes remained wide as they stared straight ahead of her, unable to see anything before her because really she was looking inwards. She was feeling a new form of pity which lurked within her breast and made her cold. Lilly was shivering now, her body convulsing where she sat and her throat was constricted with tears that hadn't fallen. She felt feverish and she wanted to call out for someone because she needed rescue. But no one would come, because Lilly was alone.

A dry sob rose in Lilly's throat and she buried her face in her hands whilst she fought back the coil of guilt and fear that was building in her stomach and forcing its way upwards. She felt a dramatic need for help, and all of her instincts turned to the one person who had always been there from the moment her life had begun. Lilly needed her mother, and she wanted to hear her voice.

Lilly moved with unsteady legs to the phone; the red light of the answer machine was still flashing and Lilly stopped when her eyes landed upon it. She hadn't made a single attempt at communicating with her family and friends since she had arrived in the hospital. It was almost as if she had been wiped off the map, and that thought was deeply unsettling.

Unable to speak, Lilly instead pressed down upon the play button and the first person who spoke was the one she had wanted to hear above all others.

…_Lilly? I don't know when you'll be coming home from the hospital, but if you'__re there then you need to know that I'm booking my flights right now. I can't believe what's happened. You silly girl, you should have been more careful!_

Lilly recoiled at the burst of anger which reproached her from the answering machine. She understood her mother's rage to be fear, however, and she felt her pulse even when her mother's voice steadied.

…_Oh, Lilly. I don't know what I would have done if the worse had happened. I'm coming to find you. I shall see you soon. I love you._

"Love you too, mum." Lilly murmured, and she found her eyes had become damp. She pressed her fingers into the corners of her eyes and brushed away the warm tears whilst the machine announced her second message.

_Lilly it's me, Sarah. Joannie says you're coming out of hospital today which is great. Erm, I'll be around later, or at some point tomorrow. Give me a call if you can, or I'll text you… Sorry, I know I'm being vague. I'm sorry I missed you in the hospital. You know what work's like… But I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried. Err, I called Miley and told her. Just so you know. I hope you've spoken with her. She sounded devastated when I told her what had happened. Oh, gosh, I've got to go. I'll call you… Bye._

The temperature of Lilly's blood had dropped and she swayed dangerously before regaining the necessary control of her body that she needed to stand. _Miley…_She shook her head in the hope that the jumble of her thoughts would be aligned from the action and fall steadily into place, yet nothing happened and it didn't work.

_She sounded devastated…_

"Miley…" Lilly murmured and when she blinked, fresh tears fell to land heavily upon her cheeks. She missed her more sorely than she had ever thought it possible to miss another person. _She sounded devastated…_

Lilly reached at once for the phone itself and Miley's number immediately played across her mind because of course she would ring her. Nothing else mattered, until the next message played.

_Lilly…_

It was just her name and then a pause which seemed to last longer than the few seconds whilst Miley paused for breath.

_I… I don't know what to say._

Her voice was low but she sounded restrained, like a pool of water where the surface trembles every time a great movement is made underneath. Lilly braced herself against the table her phone was resting on.

_You could have died. You were trapped beneath a house. It's crazy… How? Why? Oh god, I don't know…_

Then in the background to Miley's uneven breathing was an announcement and Lilly vaguely heard a woman's voice declaring a final call for a certain flight to Tennessee.

_I don't know if you heard that, but that was a call for my flight. Lilly, I came to find you but you were asleep__…_

Miley's voice broke and Lilly heard her girlfriend falter at last as she began to cry on the other end of the phone.

_You were asleep and then I kissed you. Lilly, I know about... I know. It's Joannie… I- I'm sorry but I can't do this. I have to go. I have to get on the plane…_

"Don't get on the plane." Lilly whispered and her own voice sounded too loud and too harsh. She hadn't meant to speak.

_I'm not good enough for you. I never was. You deserve someone the__re, someone who'll always be around. I can't. I'm too weak. I wasn't even there… If I had been, this never would have happened…_

"Please…"

_I've got to go. Just know that… Oh, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Lilly… Goodbye._

The message cut out and Lilly's senses returned to her in the sudden burning of her blood. "Miley…" She gasped and she scrabbled for the phone. Her fingers dialled in Miley's number without her even having to think and all of her focus blurred into one frantic attempt at contacting her girlfriend.

Miley's phone was dead at the other end. Switched off for the flight, no doubt, or perhaps she had already changed her number. Tears stung Lilly's eyes as she slammed the receiver down.

"No! Damnit…" Lilly groaned and she pushed back the tears with her fists. "I'm out of here." She swivelled at once and then stopped abruptly.

"Where are you going?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Wishing Hole**

_Just remember in the winter,  
Far beneath the bitter snow  
Lies a seed that, with the sun's love,  
In the spring becomes a rose…_

The bed was comfortable and familiar so Miley wasted no time in kicking off her shoes as she lay back upon the mattress. She inhaled the familiar scent and knew that, for now at least, she was home. The pillows smelled of the same detergent her family had been using for years, yet they also smelled of her, traces of the shampoo she had used last and of perfume.

Sunshine poured through the parting in the curtains and Miley's eyes grew heavier; her blinking slower as sleep threatened to overcome her. She hadn't stopped for hours and her energy was almost spent. She had been running purely on adrenaline for over a day and the effort of it had exhausted her.

The mattress sunk desirably beneath her body weight and Miley sighed while she pulled the comforter over her body. She was still fully clothed but her mind only registered for a moment that it was unusual to sleep in jeans before she began to lose consciousness. It wasn't right that she had come to this place, yet circumstances had been difficult and now at least she could sleep.

x-x-x

There were voices in the next room and this was something which Miley registered before she was even awake. She opened her eyes to find that the sunlight had moved from where it had been when she had last closed them and she knew that she had slept for a few hours. Miley could have easily drifted away again but a change in the tone of the conversation being held had her attention at once.

She could not discern the words being exchanged yet she continued to lie with her eyes wide open and fixed on the ceiling. Miley was wrong to have come here and her hands curled into fists on the bed, bunching the sheets up between her fingers because the worst had come true and now she was stuck.

It was too much and she should leave. Miley got to her feet quickly and stumbled to the door. Then she froze, because the voices had dropped. She bit down on her lower lip and paused with her hand on the door. Pressing her ear against it she could hear a scuffle in the next room and a familiar sound which made her nauseous. She inhaled deeply as tears burned her eyes before falling messily down her cheeks and onto her shirt.

Miley was trembling and she let the door take her weight whilst she listened to the exchange in the next room. It would only be a matter of moments before they would find her here and she quickly looked beneath the bed, and then the closet, as she sought a hiding-place to hold her for at least the next couple of hours. It could be longer and she almost retched.

They were talking again, the conversation ebbing and flowing. She heard laughter and then, unexpectedly, one of them left. Some of the tension left Miley's body and she stepped away from the door, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. She was beyond propriety and she already knew that she must look a mess.

It was quiet and Miley found this disconcerting. She longed to know what was happening and it was a sudden disturbance which tipped her over the edge, for Lilly's cry of frustration was enough, and Miley stepped into the lounge.

"I'm out of here." Lilly growled and she turned quickly, yet stopped when her eyes landed upon Miley.

"Where are you going?" Miley asked, and now that she could see Lilly she knew that she had made the right decision. The blonde woman's face was streaked with tears whilst her eyes were dark and lined with exhaustion. If she had been older, she might have become haggard by everything she had been through, yet Miley knew that wasn't a possibility with Lilly. She would still have been beautiful. Lilly Truscott was, after all, the most beautiful woman she had ever met.

"You got off the plane." Lilly said quietly.

Miley shook her head slowly, "I never got on the plane."

"You came back?" Lilly croaked.

Miley nodded, "Yes." Then she smiled, pleadingly, "I came home."

Lilly blinked whilst she looked around the room properly for the first time since returning to the apartment herself. "You brought me flowers."

Miley opened her arms, "Come here."

She was the first one to move as Lilly still seemed stunned, and Miley quickly drew her into her arms, pulling Lilly against her tightly whilst being mindful of her injuries. She inhaled deeply when she pressed her lips against Lilly's neck within their embrace and she sighed to find the fragrance of Lilly beneath the hospital soap. She also smelled of the detergent Miley used in the last clothes wash and Miley was almost overcome with a swell of affection for the other woman.

"You brought me flowers." Lilly repeated and Miley drew away.

"Is that all you can say?"

Lilly frowned slightly, "No." She paused before she spoke again, "Miley, with Joannie… Just now and whatever happened in the hospital or what you have been led to think…I'm so sorry."

Miley shook her head, "Don't."

"Miley I…"

Lilly was unable to finish her sentence because Miley was kissing her. Her lips were so soft that Miley melted against her; their bodies coming together instinctively in a tentative collision. Warmth sparked through Miley, beginning in the space between their mouths, their parted lips which willingly gave and took of each other, and neither woman demanded any more than they should. Miley's previous exhaustion was burning away in the flare of adoration that blazed through her. She was being taken back to another time, around a month prior to this, when it seemed she had truly begun to live.

"_But I have one more question for you. Lilly, what can I give you?"_

_"Nothing." Lilly was shaking her head incredulously as she replied quietly._

_"There must be something." Miley pleaded, "You know who I am, what I can __do…__"_

_"And you know who I am." Lilly said, her voice low, "There's nothing I need."_

_"No, you're wrong, and you know you are because I know what you need."_

_"What?"_

_"You need someone." Miley whispered, stepping closer to Lilly._

_"I need someone to pick up my clothes and put them in the washing machine after I've done a long day at work." Lilly replied seriously, yet her eyes were twinkling._

_"And you need someone to tell you just how lovely you are." Miley sighed and, unable to stop herself, she raised her palm to rest it against Lilly's cheek._

_"I need you to kiss me."_

_Miley swallowed, "Are you sure that it's me?"_

_"Right now? Without a doubt." Lilly said with a smile and then she was there, stepping into Miley's space and winding her arms around her waist, tugging her body close whilst her lips met Miley's halfway in a soft kiss…_

"Miley?"

"Yeah?" Miley whispered against Lilly's lips, almost losing herself in the kiss again.

"I want you to know that I won't let you down again."

"You didn't."

"I got myself trapped beneath a house."

Miley smiled as she pressed kisses across Lilly's jaw, "It could've happened to anyone."

Lilly laughed, "Oh, how I love you."

Miley's breath caught halfway and she opened her eyes to find Lilly's filling quickly with dread, the previous brightness dimming as she suddenly realised exactly what she had said.

"You do?" Miley gasped.

Lilly's cheeks flamed, "I'm sorry. It's too soon…It's only been a month or so..."

Miley shook her head, "Less than a month."

Lilly frowned, "No, I'm pretty sure I've known you for…"

"It was less than a month." Miley repeated softly, "God knows when, but I think it was after the first time we made love, or perhaps when I kissed you and you were wearing those adorable glasses of yours? No, maybe it was the first time you hugged me, or even the night we met. You wrapped your arms around me and tugged me into the night sky with you. Or was it when you first looked me in the eye and told me I was safe?" Miley smiled, "Does it matter when? Lilly, I love you. I've loved you from the moment we met and I'm sorry I haven't been able to tell you until now."

"I love you so much."

"I know. Somehow I've always known."

"So," Lilly sighed, "where do we go from here?"

"What do you mean?" Miley asked with an intrigued smile as she affectionately pushed a little of Lilly's golden hair out of her eyes.

"Well, what do you do after that moment when you have finally achieved everything you've ever wanted?"

"Oh." Miley frowned, yet then her expression broke, "I guess you sit yourself down and get comfortable on the couch, whilst I make us both some tea."

"That sounds about right." Lilly said. Then Lilly smiled with all the brightness of the sun and Miley couldn't speak, she could barely think, and she tugged her girlfriend back into her arms.

"I love you." Miley drawled into Lilly's hair, inhaling deeply as she tried to breathe the very essence of Lilly into her soul and imbed her forever.

"I love you too." Lilly replied and her breath came out in a deep sigh as if she had been doing the exact same thing.

Miley was the first to break the embrace, "Sit down, sit down…" Miley cajoled and flapped her arms at Lilly to herd her to the couch.

When Miley was certain that Lilly wasn't about to offer her any help, since the television had miraculously burst into life, she turned to the kitchen and filled the kettle with fresh water from the tap. As Miley looked back over to Lilly it suddenly seemed as if nothing had changed. Miley had never left for Tennessee and apart from the few scars which would fade Lilly had not taken a dangerous dance with fate, by brushing arms with death.

Everything was as it should be - simple, comfortable, and Miley was very much in love; nothing could tempt her away from that.

_x_

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story... What do you all think? Did it live up to its predecessor? I'm not so sure personally and the ending wasn't my strongest. Anyway, I hope you all have had awesome Easters and that you're not all suffering too much in your chocolate comas :)  
_


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